Motor.



Patented Oct. 29, IQOI. W. M. FULTON.

MOTOR.

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF I E.

WESTON M. FULTON, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

Moron.

srEcrErcA'rIoN formingpart of Letters Patent No. 685,269, dated Octoberas, 1901'. Application filed January 3, 1900; Renewed rebr tr e, 1901;satin No/48.003. (No modem sists in means whereby changes in atmos-'pheric pressure alone or changes in atmospheric pressure combined withchanges in atmospheric temperature may be caused to impart movements toa body, which move ments are utilized for the purpose of doing work of agiven characteras,for example, in driving light machinery, such asclocks and thelike; but while my device is designed more especially foruse in connection with light forms of machinery, such as clocks, it isnevertheless only limited in power by the magni- The inventive tude ofcertain of its parts. idea may be embodied in a great variety ofmechanical forms, and for the purpose of illustration I have shown someof these forms in the accompanying drawings; but it is to be understoodthat such drawings are designed for purposes of illustration only andnot as I defining the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the apparatusdesigned to respond to changes in atmospheric pressure or temperature.Fig. 2 is a central vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a View ofanother form of apparatus designed for a like purpose. Fig. 4 is acentral vertical section of the form shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is aperspective view of mechanical device, showing the means wherebysuchapparatus is made to respond more readily to changes in atmosphericpressure and temperature, so that these changes may be allowed to impartas large movements to a body as may be desired. Fig. 6 is a sectionalview of a modified form of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is aperspective View of an apparatus, showing the Operation of my inventionin connection with the winding shaft of a clock or other similar motor;

.material, such as iron or glass.

I and Fig. 8 is a modified detail of the apparatus of Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A and B are right cylinders placed onewithin the other, as shown, each closed at the bottom and preferablyhaving a common base b,as shown. C is also a right cylinder of adiameter less than that of A, but exceeding that'of B, closed at itsupper end and placed in the annular space formed between the cylinders Aand B, which space is filled with any suitable liquid for forming agas-tight closure or joint, mercury being preferred for this purpose.The vessels A,B,and O may be made of any suitable It will be apparentthat the interior volume of the Vessels B and C may be decreased byimmersing the vessel 0 within the vessel A or increased by withdrawingthe vessel 0 to a greater or less degree out of the vessel A.

Since by thelaws of physics work is equal to force multiplied by thedistance through which it acts, it is evident that if it is proposed toutilize any particular force in the performance of Work the greater thedistance through which that force is made to act the greater will be theamount of work done. Hence in order that the apparatus shown in Figs. 1and 2 may be most effectual it is necessary that the forces due tofluctuations of at- Mew or of atmospheric pres sure combined withfluctuations of temperature be made to act through the greatest distancepracticable. For eXample,let it be supposed that the interior of vesselsB C is filled with dry air whose tension is just equal to the externalpressure of the atmosphere. So long as there is neither change ofinternal temperature mgpnterpal pressure. equilibrium will be maintainedand the volume of the vessel will not be changed; but if the internaltemperature remains constant while the external prespupe gf theatmosphere increases, then the air in the vessel will be compressed andthe volume of vessels B and G will be,

decreased. The same result would follow if the pressure remainedconstant while the internal temperature decreased or if both pressureand temperature acted conjointly; but

the greatest observed fluctuations in atmos pheric pressure at theearths surface represent only a small fraction of the total atmosphericpressure, and the fluctuations in temperature are within comparativelynarrow limits. I-Ience since the volume of a gas varies with thepressure imposed upon it it is evident in the above supposed case thatthe fluctuations of pressure and temperature which actually occur in theearths atmosphere would produce only slight changes in the volume of avessel filled with dry air whose tension is equal to normal atmosphericpressure and that therefore these forces would act through very shortdistances. It is desirable, therefore, to produce conditions which willcause greater changes in the volume of the vessel as the result of theslight changes in external pressure or internal tension, and the maximumefficiency of the machine may be reached when the gas in the interior ofthe vessels is made to so vary in volume that when the atmosphericpressure is at its maximum limit and the temperature at its minimumlimit the vessel is compressed to its minimum volume, and, conversely,when the atmospheric pressure is at its minimum limit and thetemperature at its maximum the vessel will expand to its maximum limit.These ideal conditions will be most nearly attained by the employment ofsaturated vapors, either alone or combined with a gas, in thegas-chamber of vessels B and O, and preferably those vapors are employedwhose critical temperatures are above the maximum temperature of thelocality where the motor is to be used and whose critical pressures arenot greatly above normal atmospheric pressure. Preferably one or more ofthese vapors is combined with a gas which will not be liquefied underthe most extreme atmospheric conditions. Some of the vapors which I havefound suitable for this purpose are alcohol, ether, carbon disulfid, andchloroform, while some of the gases Ihave employed in connection withthese vapors are ammonia, cyanogen, carbon dioXid marshgas, oxygen, andhydrogen. By combining one or more of the above-named saturated vaporswith one of the gases slight fluctuations in atmospheric pressure andtemperature will produce large fluctuations in the volume of the vessel.For example, suppose the gas-chamber of the vessel, Figs. 1 and 2, to befilled with vapor of alcohol in the presence of its liquid atatemperature of centigrade. Its tension will then be nearly equal to thatof normal atmospheric pressure. Adda sufiicient amount of air to makethe combined tension of air and alcohol-vapor just equal to the externalatmospheric pressure. Now since the alcohol-vapor is in the presence ofits liquid it is a saturated vapor, and hence if the temperature remainsunchanged, but the external pressure increases, the alcohol-vapor willproceed to condense without increase of tension. This will leave the airwhich is combined with the vapor;the task of sustaining the entire forceof the increase of pressure,

and since only a small amount of air was added its action will be justas though it was in the vessel alone and in a highly-rarefiedstate-viz., it will be very sensitive to changes in pressure-and slightvariations in the ex ternal pressure of the atmosphere will pro-' ducedecided changes in the volume of the air in the vessel and acorresponding increase in the distance through which any member attachedto the vessel 0 would move. A similar result would evidently follow ifthe the pressure remains constant while the ten1= perature changes or ifboth pressure and temperature act conjointly. The proportions in whichthe gases and vapors are to be mixed will depend upon localpeculiarities of climate and upon the character of the work which themotor is to perform. Vapors will often be used alone without gases.

I have shown in Fig. 5 a mechanical device by means of which slightchanges in atmospheric pressure and temperature may be made to producedecided changes in the volume of the vessels, Figs. 1 and 3, without theuse of vapor, as just described. This method is desirable in some cases.A rack a is secured to the movable cylinder G, the cylinder A beingheldagainst movement, and D is ashaft supported in any suitable bearingsand having secured thereto the fusees D and D with their extensions (1and d respectively, which extensions are of regular diameter. W V areweights attached, by means of the cords to w", to the fusees, as shown,said cords being wound in reversed directions on the fusees and theirextensions d (P. The operation of this device is as follows: Wheneverthe changes of temperature or atmospheric pressure cause the vessel 0 todescend, the rack Ct engages the pinion D on the shaft D and revolvessaid shaft in a direction to wind up }the cord 10, bearing the Weight W,and to unwind the cord to, bearing the weight W.

On the other hand, any changes in atmospheric pressure which caused thevessel 0 to ascend would wind up the weight W, while unwinding weight W.

Fig. '7 shows a means whereby the movements of the cylinder 0 may beutilized to perform work. C is a standard attached to the top of thecylinder 0 and supporting upon its upper end a frame 0 having the rackso 0 formed on the inner faces of its opposite sides, but lying indifferent vertical planes. D is a shaft which may be supported in anysuitable bearings and having two pinions M (shown in full lines) and N(shown in dotted lines) loose thereon. Secured on the face of eachpinion is a ratchet-wheel G, and rigidly attached to the shaft D is apawl 11 in operative engagement with the ratchet-wheel G. The pinion Mengages the rack c, and the pinion N engages the rack 0 P is a pulleymounted to turn with the shaft D and has wound around it a number oftimes an endless cord R, which is in turn wound around a second pulley Qon the shaft S, which may be supported in any suitable bearings. \V Wrepresent weights supported by the cord R between the pulleys P and Q,small pulleys 13 being attached to the weights W W to permit the cord tomove freely therethrough. W is a large weight, while V1 is a smallweight whose office is simply to maintain a sufficient tension on thecord R to prevent slipping on the pulleys P and Q.

The operation of the construction shown in Fig. 7 is as follows: Therack-frame C responds to the movements up or down of the cylinder C du'eto the changes of atmospheric pressure or temperature, and in itsdownward movement the rack c engages the pinion M and revolves the same,carrying with it the ratchet-wheel G, which, by reason of its engagementwith the pawl H, imparts revolution to the shaft D 011 the upwardmovement, however, while the rack c revolves the pinion M revolution isnot impartedlto the shaft, because the teeth of the ratchet-wheel G slipunder the pawl without engaging therewith; but on said upward movementthe rack c engages with the pinion N, which, by reason of aratchet-and-pawl connection (not shown) similar to that of theratchet-wheel G and pawl H on the pinion M, imparts motion to the shaftD in the same direction as was given said shaft by the pinion M on thedownward movement of the racks. It will-thus be seen that any increaseor decrease of the volume of the vessels A G will result in therevolution of the shaft D in one direction only and that such revolutionof the shaft D will wind the cord R upon the pulley P withoutinterfering with the action of the weight W on the pulley Q, throughwhich it acts to continuously drive the shaft S, which may serve as thepower-shaft for driving machinery.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a modification of the means whereby therevolutions of the shaft D may be utilized to store energy and transmitthat energy to do work. In said Fig. 8, P is a bevel-gear looselymounted on the shaft D and having on one side thereof a drum P on whichis wound a cord 6, supporting a weight W D is a crank-arm rigid with theshaft D and having loosely mounted on the end thereof a bevel-pinion T,meshing with the bevel-gear P on the shaft D and with the bevel-gear Prigid on the shaft D, which latter shaft forms the driving-shaft of themechanism to be operated as, for ex ample, the driving-shaft connectedto the operating mechanism of a clock. The revolution of the shaft Dcaused by the movements of the rack 0 operates to wind up the cord 25,bearing the weight W and it will be apparent that the weight W willfurnish the power for the continuous driving of the shaft D Furthermore,the continuous movement of the shaft D will not be interrupted by theaction of the rack 0 which serves to wind up the weight W as thebevel-gears I and P will then be revolved together and in the samedirection by the action of the pinion T, connecting them.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a modification of the vessel,whosevariations in volume serve to impart movement to the motorshaft. Inthese figures, E is a vessel of bellows-like shape composed of suitableelastic material-as, for example, thin sheet-steel and having top andbottom plates E F. of sufficient thickness or rigidity to support thevessel and the portions of the mechanisms that may be connected theretofor conveying its motions to a shaftas, for example, the rod 0 operationof this modification is identical with that of the vessel shown in Figs.1 and 2, with the single exception that the elasticity of the materialof which the vessel iscom= posed serves to assist in the motionsimparted in one direction.

In Fig. 6 I have shown still a different modification of theconstruction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which consists in placing thevessel composed of cylinders A, B, and 0 within a second vessel of likeconstruction composed (Shown in Fig. 7.) The principle of of cylindersA, B, and G, the only difference between the two vessels being that ofsize;

For the purpose of supporting the vessel A,

B, and 0 within the vessel A, B, and O a suitable brace or braces F areemployed. All the gas is exhausted from the smaller vessel, so as toproduce a vacuum therein, and the gas in the larger vessel may then beconsiderably rarefied. This will enable slight fluctuations in pressureand temperature to produce more decided changes in volume.

While I have herein shown and described certain forms and constructionsof vessels whereby the variations in atmospheric pressure andtemperature may be utilized and while I have shown certain means ofimparting motion from said vessels to suitable shafting designed toperform certain work, it will be understood that my invention is notlimited either to any specific form of vessel or to any specific meansof conveying motion therefrom to the operating-shaft of the machinery tobe driven, as numerous forms of vessels and of connecting mechanism mayreadily be devised for carrying out the inventive idea which findsexpression in the mechanism shown in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of acollapsible vessel containing a saturated vapor combined with a suitablegas, the volume of said vessel varying with variations in atmosphericpressure, and means operatively connected to said vessel whereby themovements of the vessel due to its variations in volume may be utilizedto perform work.

2. The combination of a collapsible vessel containing saturated vaporscombined with a suitable gas, a shaft, and means operatively too &

connecting said vessel and shaft whereby either the increase or decreasein volume of the vessel will impart rotary movement to the shaft in onedirection only.

3. The combination of a collapsible vessel containing a saturated vaporand a gas, a shaft having a pinion mounted thereon, and a rack connectedto said vessel and in operative engagement with the pinion on the shaft,whereby the variations in volume of the vessel will impart movement tothe pinion and shaft.

4. The combination of a collapsible vessel containing a saturated vaporand a gas, a shaft having two pinions thereon capable of loosely turningon the shaft,.and two racks, one engaging each pinion and meansconnecting the racks to the said collapsible vessel whereby thechanges'in volume of the vessel will impart rotary movement to the shaftin 20' JOHN M. KIRBY, SAMUEL B. ODnnnl

